Launch of the "Presidential Program" to prepare Egyptian youth for leadership
Cairo - Ahmed Sabry and Nihad Imam
Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, Dr. Abdel Aziz Qanhsouwa, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, and Dr. Salwa Gouily, Executive Director of the National Academy for Training, signed a memorandum of cooperation to launch the "Presidential Program for Preparing Egyptian Youth for Leadership." The program aims to discover, nurture, and prepare outstanding Egyptian youth, developing their personal, social, and leadership skills, and establishing a comprehensive pathway for talent development that extends from the school stage through university education, the labor market, entrepreneurship, and postgraduate studies.
The cooperation memorandum aims to support the implementation of the program as a strategic national initiative to invest in the energies and capabilities of outstanding youth and direct them in a manner that contributes to preparing a generation capable of keeping pace with future challenges and contributing to achieving the Egyptian state’s vision. This will be accomplished through an integrated system for discovering, developing, and nurturing talent, providing opportunities for academic and professional study and training, and linking outstanding students with job opportunities, entrepreneurship, and postgraduate studies.
The program’s strategic objectives include equipping Egyptian youth with the necessary and advanced tools and knowledge to keep pace with the latest technologies; elevating their sports, artistic, and cultural talents through rich and diverse activities; discovering outstanding and talented individuals in various scientific, technical, leadership, sports, and artistic fields through an objective measurement system; and refining youth personalities while developing their leadership, social, and emotional intelligence skills to prepare them for future leadership. Additionally, the program will provide scholarships and opportunities for study at local private and community universities, with support pathways for outstanding students until graduation, and link them to real job opportunities in both the public and private sectors through an integrated employment empowerment program. It also aims to prepare distinguished students for nomination for scholarships, fellowships, and postgraduate programs locally and internationally, while instilling national awareness, Egyptian identity, and support for Egypt Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The program targets outstanding Egyptian youth aged 13 to 18, through three main categories: outstanding students from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Excellence Schools; outstanding students from technological institutes and schools; and outstanding students from the General Secondary Education Certificate and national qualifications, including the Baccalaureate and the International Nile Certificate.
The memorandum stipulates cooperation in implementing an integrated system for discovering and screening talented and outstanding individuals. This process begins with institutional nomination based on academic and behavioral excellence criteria, followed by pre-admission tests, cognitive assessments, aptitude tests, and psychological evaluations, assessment centers, and personal interviews. It culminates in the preparation of a comprehensive talent profile for each trainee, directing them toward the most suitable academic and professional pathway based on their abilities and interests.
The program also includes comprehensive training tracks, featuring a common track for all trainees covering personal and leadership skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, awareness, citizenship, activities, meetings, and external visits. It includes a track for labor market readiness for the older age group (16-18 years), as well as a specialized deepening track that allows trainees to focus on their area of excellence—whether technical, industrial, academic, or leadership—with content tailored to each group’s background. This prepares them to transform their ideas into innovative, applicable projects, products, or startups.
